WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - Former Purdue women's basketball standout Sam Ostarello signed her first professional contract on Wednesday, joining Alanya Belediye SC in Alayna, Turkey for the second half of their season. She becomes the second member of the Boilermakers' class of 2013 to join the professional ranks in Europe, following classmate Drey Mingo.

"We're very excited for Sam to get this opportunity," said Purdue head coach Sharon Versyp. "She showed Purdue fans how well she can play the game for four years, and now she has the opportunity to do that on the international stage. We couldn't be more proud of her."

Ostarello appeared in 132 games in her Boilermaker career (11th-most in school history), starting 67 of her final 68 games. She finished second in school history with 901 career rebounds, and set the single-season record with 341 boards in her senior campaign. She led the team in rebounding in three of her four seasons with the Boilermakers, and her 10.0 rebounds per game last season is the third-highest single-season average in Purdue history.

The first player to average double-figures on the boards for the Boilermakers since 1977-78, Ostarello took home the 2013 Big Ten rebounding crown, and was the first Purdue player to lead the conference in rebounding since 1991. She also finished eighth all-time in blocks with 130 in her career. She was selected as second team All-Big Ten by the media last season, and earned honorable mention recognition as a junior and a senior from the coaches.

Ostarello departs for Turkey on Dec. 26, and will be with the team through the end of April. After a 0-5 start, Alanya Belediye has won its last two games and will play once more before she joins the team. She will be the lone American on the roster, which is currently made up mostly of Turkish nationals.